18 FOOD OF FISHES. 



they are sleeping or not, because the eyes are always 

 open." The large size of the eyes, which are almost as 

 large as the head in the gold fish, do not therefore 

 indicate distinctness of vision, but the contrary ; and 

 hence M. de Blainville is probably in error, when he 

 attributes greater distinctness of vision to wandering 

 and migratory fishes, such as the cod, whose eyes are 

 as large as those of a man, or even of an ox, than to 

 species more stationary, such as the perch, whose eyes 

 are comparatively small. 



It is of considerable importance for the angler to 

 bear this indistinctness of vision in fish always in 

 mind, as much of his success must depend on being 

 guided thereby. The shadow, for example, which 

 will be cast upon the water by having the sun on his 

 back, will have the same effect in frightening the fish 

 as if it were caused by a harmless sheep or a prowling 

 otter, and the poor fishes being unable to discriminate 

 between friends and enemies, dart away in terror at 

 every shadow which crosses them. Sir Humphry 

 Davy well illustrates this by an anecdote of the late C. 

 J. Fox, who, walking up Bond Street from one of the 

 club-houses with an illustrious personage, laid him a 

 wager, that he would see more cats than the Prince in 

 his walk, and that he might take which side of the 

 street he liked. When they had got to the top, it was 

 found that Mr. Fox had seen thirteen cats, and the 

 Prince not one. The royal personage asked for an 

 explanation of this apparent miracle, and Mr. Fox 

 said, " Your Royal Highness took, of course, the 

 shady side of the way, as most agreeable ; I knew 



